For most people, when it comes to water and agriculture there are a lot of unknowns, myths, and misconceptions. To help clarify and spread accurate information, the Utah Department of Agriculture & Food (UDAF) has recently released an animated video to teach more about agricultural water use and how UDAF is working to help farmers improve water efficiency.


In addition, UDAF is helping spread the word about Water Optimization Grants. UDAF’s Water Optimization Program was created during the 2018 General Session (HB 381) to reduce agricultural water diversion or consumptive use while maintaining or improving agriculture production and profitability. The department is now accepting Water Optimization Grant Applications for FY 2022 ARPA Fall funding. The goal is to reduce agricultural consumptive water use, while maintaining or improving agriculture production and profitability, and providing increased operational flexibility for agriculture water users moving forward. Successful applicants will be required to implement accurate real time water measurement on all projects. Funding is limited to agriculture projects. Secondary water projects are not eligible.

Applications for the next round of funding will be open from August 1 –  September 1, 2022. For more information, visit https://ag.utah.gov/farmers/conservation-division/water-optimization-program. The application for the grants can be found HERE.  

For specific questions, those interested can contact Benjamin Hudson, Northern Utah Planner at 385-226-7808, bhudson@utah.gov, or Kendra Young, Southern Utah Planner at 385-228-8258, kendrayoung@utah.gov, or Jay Olsen at 801-718-0517, jayolsen@utah.gov Water Optimization Grant Program Manager.